The Hardest Thing is Letting Go: The Emotional Journey of Closing My Business

Saying goodbye is never easy, especially when it involves letting go of something you've poured your heart and soul into. Today, with a heavy heart, I share my personal journey of closing my beloved business. Join me as I navigate the depths of emotion and bid farewell to a chapter that defined my entrepreneurial spirit.

The Birth of a Dream 

From the moment I envisioned Philomena's Boutique, it became an extension of my very being. It was more than a venture; it was a representation of my passion and a testament to my resilience. Countless sleepless nights and tireless efforts birthed my dream, and seeing it flourish brought immeasurable joy. But as the saying goes, "All good things must come to an end."

Navigating the Storms 

Running a business is not for the faint-hearted. I weathered storms, both literal and metaphorical, that threatened to shake the very foundations I had built. I battled through economic downturns, fierce competition, and personal sacrifices. Yet, each challenge further fueled my determination to keep going, until the weight of it all became too heavy to bear.

The Unseen Toll 

Behind the scenes, the toll of entrepreneurship can be invisible. The sleepless nights and the constant weight of responsibility took their toll on my physical and mental well-being. Sacrificing personal relationships and neglecting self-care became the norm. It became clear that I needed to reassess my priorities and address the imbalance that had slowly eroded my joy. At first, I hired Robyn and that worked so well but then Robyn also became anxious, in serving wonderful customers we also encountered aggressive, rude, abusive people, some of whom actually threatened us.  No cup or bowl or handmade item is worth that and we choose to save our mental health first and foremost.

The Bittersweet Farewell 

Saying goodbye to something you love is a cocktail of emotions—bittersweet, nostalgic, and undeniably painful. As I made the difficult decision to close my business, I mourn the loss of the community I have built, the customers I have served, and the dreams that fueled my ambition. But in that farewell, I also discovered an opportunity for growth and new beginnings. Today, as of now, Philomena's Boutique is up for sale. I will continue to run the business until such a time as it sells but I will be removing all of the handmade goods and continuing with gifts I don't make, ones which with the click of a button I can send to your home wherever I may be.

Closing my business is undoubtedly the hardest thing I've ever done. It requires immense strength to acknowledge that letting go is not a sign of failure but a leap of faith towards personal well-being and happiness. I choose to cherish the memories, the lessons learned, and the strength gained throughout this journey. Today, I embark on a new path, eager to apply the wisdom acquired and embrace the unknown with an open heart.  I will continue to build Mandy Charlton Photography, I've been a photographer in Newcastle since the 22nd of June 2007 and I'm happy to say that I have work coming in and a busy calendar for weddings for the next couple of years.  I also continue to thrive on TikTok where I have my own TikTok shop making affiliate income from sales, it's completely unstressful and as I have found, I can make more from one 15-second video than a whole week of constant work and stress at Philomena's Boutique.

Philomena's Boutique has so much potential in the right hands but it needs someone with vast amounts of energy and a healthy wallet of cash, we recently reached a six-figure valuation but if you're out there reading this, know that I would take half of that to walk away tomorrow.

I really do not know what the future holds but I do know this, in 6 months I am going to be 50, it's time to read books in the sunshine, it's time to have an easier life, it's time to enjoy just being me for a while.

Say Goodbye to Boring Gin Garnishes with Philomena's Boutique's Unique and Delicious Home-Dried Options

Are you tired of the same old boring gin and cocktail garnishes? Look no further than Philomena's Boutique for the most delicious and unique gin garnishes on the market. These garnishes, hand-picked and dried to perfection, are not only beautiful to look at but are also packed with flavour and will elevate your gin and cocktail game to the next level.

At Philomena's Boutique, only the freshest and highest quality ingredients are used to create their gin garnishes. From juniper berries to citrus peel, each garnish is carefully chosen and paired with specific gin and cocktail recipes to bring out the best in both the drink and the garnish.

But these garnishes aren't just for gin, they can be used in a variety of different drinks, from classic gin and tonics to more complex cocktails. They are perfect for adding a touch of elegance to any drink and are a must-have for any home bar.

Not only do these garnishes taste great, but they also look great. Packaged in beautiful, reusable sustainable paper pouches, they make the perfect gift for any gin lover. And let's face it, they're a sustainable alternative to traditional garnishes. So, why not treat yourself or a loved one to a pouch of Philomena's Boutique's delicious gin garnishes today?

Find them on their website at https://philomenasboutique.com/products/philomenas-home-dried-gin-garnishes?variant=42282824466607 and elevate your gin and cocktail game today!

Brighter days are coming

Brighter days are coming she repeated to herself, not sure whether it was a manifestation or a mantra...

It's been a tough start to the year and I'm so exhausted that yesterday I went to meditate and I woke up 2 hours later, I thought that might wreck my sleeping patterns but it seems that chronic fatigue is currently the order of the day and I could possibly win the Gold medal for sleeping for England.

My health is a joke, as are my finances but I keep pushing myself onwards knowing that I have weddings this year and in a month or so I'll start receiving income from those and so I just need to get there.  On paper, I have 2 potentially successful businesses, one of which was super successful before the pandemic and one which is still a startup but has the most amazing potential if I could just grow the audience past the 3000 or so people I've attracted in the last 18 months.  At first, when I started the boutique I had the money for advertising thanks to the government but now as I try to stop direct debits from bouncing and my covid debts spiralling it really feels like a long way from where I want to be.

There is no answer, of course, I live on a weekly food waste hamper I get from a local charity for £15, as frugally as possible and each week I scramble to pay my rent and top up my energy meters before they run out of money.  I went over to PAYG energy a few years ago because of the lean winters as a photographer and it does help to have no big bills but right now, it's like a battle.

I am doing everything I can to push each business and I hope to take on a few more weddings this year, I think I have around 15 now and I'd like to reach 25-30 if possible because weddings are guaranteed income (lockdowns allowing of course).  I was going to retire completely at the end of the year but I've decided to keep my hand in and just photograph some smaller weddings next year, 2,3,4 hour bookings, perfect for me really.  I am still really good at what I do, I just need to get through the pre-wedding anxiety which has me in knots.  When I get there I love it, I am the least anxious person there thanks to my superpower.  It's weird how my brain works.

This week, on Friday, I am going to see my doctor, I want to get reassessed to see if I have ADHD, I did an online test where I scored 11/12 and 6/6 so I think it's probable, suffice to say, I think there's also a possibility that I could win an award for the most screwed up unquiet brain in Britain but hey, at least I get uber creativity as a reward.  I also want to sort out my weight, I am unhappy in my current body but need help as the traditional things don't work so I'm going to have a chat about Saxenda and see what the process is for that, I'd like to be a whole new person by the time I'm 50!

At the end of 2020 I got some travel vouchers for a collaboration I did so currently I have 2, 2 night breaks just waiting to be taken and for Mother's Day, I'm getting some train vouchers.  I plan to put the breaks to good use and take my camera to create more original photographic art I can sell through Philomena's Boutique.  to me, the boutique combines all that I love and need in my life, I get to be creative, I get to make things and I also get to complement that with things that I love, it's hard now but if I can successfully increase its audience then one day it has the potential to be incredibly successful.

I do not know what the future holds but there's one thing I am holding on to and that is that brighter days are coming...

Ways to support my writing

If you have enjoyed this article or found it useful and would like to support my writing I'd love a virtual coffee

I also have a lovely Facebook group I'd love you to come and join 

You could also come and follow me on Instagram or  TikTok keep up with my adventures, I really am grateful for all

of your love and support.

Oh and of course, you could just treat yourself to something lovely from Philomena's Boutique, my gift boutique

which is diverse, sustainable and totally lush!

The Big Change, Scary but Inevitable

The big change...

Change is scary but it's not something I'm scared of, I'm not scared to ask for help, I used to feel ashamed when I had to ask for help, when I didn't understand why something was happening or when something was wrong but I couldn't fix it myself.  I have learned that shame is a very personal thing, we own it, it's ours, we actually do not need to respond to it, just acknowledge that it is there.  

Just lately at Philomena's Boutique, things have not been going so well, I actually thought I was just going to close the boutique because despite all of our efforts we didn't reach our next funding target,  we're still 10% away but we did get a lot of sales during a clearance that meant we could start planning for our future. I refuse to give up just yet and though the boutique has been valued at a decent sum of money, I wanted to get it to 2 years before I even consider selling it.  The boutique was set up in such unique circumstances that maybe it isn't a forever business, maybe it was my saviour when I couldn't work as a photographer and that's okay, everything that comes into our lives is for a reason or a season.

There are a couple of things happening, big decisions I've taken, full of love and positivity for the future -

Philomena's Christmas Boutique 

The boutique is becoming Philomena's Christmas Boutique and we'll be selling everything for the festive home plus gorgeous gifts you might just want to keep for yourself, in fact, I've already placed an order with the jewellery company we used before and we have some fantastic things on the way.  No one knows and loves Christmas like I do, Christmas has been at the very centre of my calendar for many years and it's well known that I try to out Christmas myself every single year.  I throw a grand party for all of my closest friends and because we couldn't hold one last year, this year's promises to be better and bigger than ever.

My love of colour is eternal and working on my Colour My World project actively over the next 2 years  I'll be promoting the Colour my World collection through the Colour My World page but they'll still be sold on the boutique site because I can't bear to make another website, I have way too many as it is.

When we do get our new stock at Philomena's Boutique we'll be a lot like TK Maxx or Homesense, we may only get 1, 3, 6 of each product and once they're gone we can't promise to get them back against if you see something you love, you'll need to grab it immediately as we won't be holding loads of stock. We haven't yet worked out how often we'll do a restock as it depends on a few things but we'll hopefully get new things at least once a month.

Photography is back!!!

I am working more as a photographer than I was previously, I have a real love for wedding photography and I'm really good at what I do. It's amazing to be working properly again so it's all a bit of a juggle but Looby will be running the boutique mostly and I am even getting Abigail involved where possible as a way of supporting them both through further education. I'll continue to do all of the social media and the admin but with any luck, it's all going to work well.  Looby was already doing all of the orders herself anyway as her way of paying for the stabling for Sil, her horse so she's totally capable and way better at wrapping orders than I ever am!

It's probable that we may close the boutique in January for a little snooze once the usual end of season sale is done and when we come back is the big question. To me being happy is everything and so I'll just keep working towards freedom and happiness which go hand in hand.

Thanks for letting me share my thoughts with you. I will be giving away a £100 gift certificate to celebrate when we do reach our funding target which hopefully won't be too much longer, especially with all of the things on the way like vegan chocolate, beautiful eco-friendly jewellery, gorgeous Christmas decorations and things to make your home smell yummy and seasonal.  The future is much brighter than I imagined it would be this time last month so I hope you'll stick with us as we continue to rebuild what covid took away.

Ways to support my writing

If you have enjoyed this article or found it useful and would like to support my writing I'd love a virtual coffee

I also have a lovely Facebook group I'd love you to come and join 

You could also come and follow me on Instagram or  keep up with my adventures, I really am grateful for all

of your love and support.

Oh and of course, you could just treat yourself to something lovely from Philomena's Boutique, my gift boutique

which is diverse, sustainable and totally lush!

The worst week in business and the miracle that saved me

It's early Sunday morning, it's snowing outside but not the good snow, not the abundant soft white flakes you can catch on your tongue.  This is the small gritty stuff which lashes against your skin hurting it with its painfully cold stab of ice, this stuff rarely lies and is not at all the fun stuff we dream of.

If you follow me on social media you'll probably know that A) I was 47 (see photo for the resulting afternoon tea, a present from an anonymous lady who I thank dearly if they're reading this) on Monday and B) this was a week in business where I wanted to hide under a blanket in the corner and never come out.  I had expected that retail would be quiet in January and I'm lucky really as it wasn't quite so bad and orders did come in but without my photography income to sustain me it became a massive juggle between paying bills and restocking the shop.  The truth is if it comes down to it, would any of us choose to do a restock when we can't be sure we can pay for our next gas or electricity?  And when you start having to deal with those kinds of financial conditions you end up in a vicious circle.  You can't afford to restock which means the shop is empty and so no one can shop.  With the best will in the world, you can spend a million on advertising but if there's no product to buy, you will just end up even more broke.

Starting a business of any kind isn't easy dear reader, if anyone tells you it is, they're lying! One lucky thing about photography is that the overheads are lower because I'm not selling a product, I have the equipment and I don't have a studio.  Product-based businesses are expensive to start, especially if you're not making the product yourself.  I was lucky when I started the boutique, the economy was opening up again and I used a bounceback loan to start the boutique rather than invest it into my photography business which might have sustained me for a few months but ultimately it would have run out eventually and I would have gotten to this lockdown with no other business or any form of support at all.

I do not, for one single second regret starting Philomena's Boutique, there are days when my last scrap of sanity was saved by being able to go up to my second-floor office and do some work, my mental health does not allow for sitting and doing nothing, I'm constantly thinking about my next move and I need things to distract me from the anxiety caused by the pandemic, the lockdown and daily life.

My first thought from the bottom of the dark chasm I found myself in was that I could sell, I had the boutique valued by 2 different companies both specialising in Shopify stores and was pleasantly surprised by how much it was already worth after just 8 months but if I sold, realistically, I'd be back to sitting doing nothing and just watching my income stagnate for goodness knows how long.  Now it's a very weird position to be in where you have 36p in your bank account, but you know your business is worth a lot of money, and with my credit score, especially after the financial instability caused by Covid, it was unlikely that I would be able or even capable of paying back any kind of loan.  It was just not a feasible idea.

Thursday came and I burst into tears in my hall upon receiving a letter addressed to "Princess Mandy Charlton" followed shortly after by a collage made for me by Alice, age 9, one of my clients and previous student of my photography classes which I ran during the first lockdown (remember that one, the sunny one).  I'd checked my bank and knew by next week I'd have no money (after having no sales all week) and my gas and electric would be cut off (I have a smart meter which I top up because I was always afraid of big winter bills) and I'd not be able to pay my rent (again, again, again...).  I did know I have friends who wouldn't let me be without gas, electric or even food but I'm a proud independent warrior woman, I'm full of hope and even at my deepest, darkest moment, I kept repeating "everything will be okay".  I said my affirmations every single day feeling like a fraud as I laughably told the universe I was welcoming more income into my life and that I was abundant and everything was okay, better than okay...

And then a miracle happened, I had a message through my website to apply for Shopify Capital, now let me say, Shopify Capital is a bit mysterious, you can't apply for it, they just contact you when you reach some kind of threshold, no one really knows what that is and even if you are invited to apply, there's still no guarantee you'll be accepted.  So, for anyone who doesn't know what it is, basically, they lend you a sum and then they take back a percentage of your daily sales so that on the slow days you don't have to pay anything if you haven't made anything.  I received 3 offers and chose the one I thought would help and in less than 24 hours I was accepted and it hit my bank so I could restock the boutique.  This funding stream has almost certainly saved my business as well as securing my future and once you're in their program they will keep helping you to build so you can be as big as you dream.

My dream is that one day, I'll have a little shop with a flat above it, it will be on a cobbled path leading down to the beach and I'll also maintain my heavy web presence and keep nurturing the wonderful community who have continued to support me since the very first day I opened Philomena's Boutique.  When lockdown ends and people start booking weddings and photoshoots, all of the income from that will be funnelled into the boutique so that one day I can retire happily from a long and wonderful career in photography.  I want to buy a caravan next to the sea that I can rent out to families at a reasonable cost so that when things get too much they can escape for a weekend by the sea and forget about their worries, just for a while.  That was my dream for Inspire when I was there but I really feel I have the chance of achieving it now. Oh, and yeah, I'll probably be in debt now until I'm 475, don't think that everything is rosy because I could scare you in 15 minutes with the financial mess covid has caused, you can't lose almost an entire years income without it having an effect on your life.

Ways to support my writing

If you have enjoyed this article or found it useful and would like to support my writing I'd love a virtual coffee

I also have a lovely Facebook group I'd love you to come and join 

You could also come and follow me on Instagram to keep up with my adventures, I really am grateful for all

of your love and support.

Oh and of course, you could just treat yourself to something lovely from Philomena's Boutique, my gift boutique

which is diverse, sustainable and totally lush!

What the hell is 2020?

As surely as day becomes night, summer must also turn into autumn and I find myself asking "what the hell is 2020?"

Now I must firstly say that I'm currently sitting at my desk catching up on 9 days off whilst also throwing my arms in the air singing along to "Proud" and other wonderful music from my "Happy music for musical moments" Spotify playlist.  I'm happy when I'm at my desk in a way I don't think I ever was previously, there's a simple kind of joy in sending out parcels which bring delight to the recipients of what I like to call gifty goodness.  Who can even believe I'm sitting here in my home office where I have an online gift boutique?  Madness, that's what it is, that's what this whole year has been.

I've been genuinely distressed at several points of this year, I remember just after lockdown thinking I'd lost both of the businesses I had when we went into 2020 as well as being separated from my daughters for way longer than I wanted to be and that was even before I broke my arm!

Where are we now?

So, where are we now?  Well, my gift boutique certainly seems to be thriving, even in August, the 4am of retail it did pretty well by anyone's standards and I have high hopes for Q4.  I'm still not fully ready to talk about the future of my wedding and portrait photography business, it's currently just in a coma sleeping, paid work is still incredibly hard to come by and after losing between £20-30K this year, well let's just say I try not to think about it for fear I'll throw up.  I don't think there are any answers as yet, we're in a massive bloody recession, people still don't feel safe and there are so many restrictions around what I can actually do that I do question often if it's even worth it.  Dammit though, I do still love photography and I love my clients, I love telling stories through images (and words) and I still cry at most of the weddings I shoot because love is beautiful.

What Happens Next?

What happens next is anyone's guess really, I do know that the one thing I have fallen in love with again is writing about my life and more specifically about travel so when Abigail asked me if I wanted to go to Gdansk next Monday for a minibreak, first I questioned how I was old enough to have a daughter who wanted to take her mum on a minibreak, then I accepted with much gratitude, I've had a Polish guidebook on my bookshelf for at least 2 years, I literally can't wait to go to Poland, to soak up the culture and to spend time with my daughter before she goes off to Uni in a few weeks.  I will, of course, take many photos and write a few words to go with each on both here and on Instagram and you can bet that my soul will be full and happy and nourished because travel fills my cup until it runs over and soaks everyone else it touches with love and enthusiasm.

The best adventures are yet to come...

Ways to support my writing

If you have enjoyed this article or found it useful and would like to support my writing I'd love a virtual coffee

I also have a lovely Facebook group I'd love you to come and join 

You could also come and follow me on Instagram to keep up with my adventures, I really am grateful for all

of your love and support.

Oh and of course, you could just treat yourself to something lovely from Philomena's Boutique, my gift boutique

which is diverse, sustainable and totally lush!

Why I decided to start 2 new businesses during lockdown

34% off at mandycharlton.com and Philomenas Boutique, it's the Christmas Shopping Weekend

That's right dear reader today I have spectacular news, it's my annual Christmas shopping weekend and you're all invited and what's more, I have 5 mounted and framed art prints to give away.

To win a framed and mounted copy of The Secret Garden and Ranunculus all you need to do is one of the following things - 

Book a photo shoot (to be taken at any time in 2014) before midnight Sunday and you're entered to win 2 of my framed and mounted art prints.  (remember half hours at Saltwell Park, Tynemouth Longsands and Jesmond Dene are only £25, all other locations and at home start from £40 depending on where you are)

Buy a gift certificate (and get an extra 20% value added) and you'll get an entry.

Place an order from a live gallery on mandycharlton.com/cart (get 34% discount on many items with the code CHRISTMAS) and you'll get an entry.

Finally make a purchase from Philomenas Boutique and you'll get an entry. (get 34% discount storewide using the code CHRISTMAS)

https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/PhilomenasBoutique…

and I also have 3 more framed and mounted prints which I'm also going to give away randomly throughout the weekend to people who've done one of the above things so there'll be a draw on Friday Evening to win - Freesia

If you do any of the things on Saturday you can win - Hyacinth, Freesia and Anenome

and if you do any of the things on that there list on Sunday you can win a framed and mounted copy of Autumn in the forest at Wallington

That's just three of them, took a quick photo of them as they were framed this morning, you know I would love these on my walls and it's going to be a wrench to actually give them away!

If you have any questions or queries about any aspects of the weekend or you want to purchase gift certificates or book a photography session you can email me here

For each draw over the weekend there must be a minimum of 5 entrants, if there aren't 5 the prize will roll over to the next evening with the maximum roll over being through to the grand prize draw on Monday morning when all 5 prints will definitely go.

Please help me to spread the word about this super Christmas shopping weekend, I couldn't exist as a business without all of my lovely clients and there's a whole lot of thought and preparation gone into this years, more than ever before so tell your friends, shout for your family and there's almost certainly something for everyone.

Fairy Godmothers, Book bargains and emergency cuddly paws

Wednesday again dear reader, it snuck up upon me like the cheeky little midweek thing that it is, when my alarm went off this morning I could quite happily have switched it off and gone back to sleep, the dark months are coming!

My wonderful cleaner from spark plus services came yesterday and 4 hours later my house looked like it had been magicked by Fairy Godmothers, we could lie on the kitchen floor and eat our dinner from it if we wanted to, that's how clean it is!  I of course don't recommend eating your dinner from the kitchen floor!

Mandys Christmas Bargain - yes it's that day of the week again and this week it's all for the book lovers, until 5th December you can get 3 books for £10 from Amazon, 3 whole books, that's a whole lot of lovely smelling paper, they have adult books and kids books, a really great selection and if you're like me and love something bargainous, that's 3 more Christmas presents sorted and it's not even the middle of November yet!

I had an emergency cuddle from these paws yesterday, lovely to see Sid again and he's a great tonic to the loneliness of being without a dog and only having 2 cats.

Hopefully the loneliness is only temporary and we'll have some new paws to cuddle soon, we're actually just waiting for the home check from the Beagle Welfare association and then we'll hopefully be able to rescue a beagle who needs a new chance in life, we have all of the equipment needed already so it's just a waiting game and we must remain patient, it's not my strong point dear reader but I'll give it a go!

On the work and business front it's my Christmas shopping weekend this weekend with lots of discounts, giveaways and all kinds of fun on both mandycharlton.com and also Philomena's Boutique, i'll have more news on that over the next couple of days but if you want to be the first to know then you need to be on my lovely mailing list so just click on that link, sign up and you'll be the first to know, you have to wait patiently next to your email box on Thursday at 5pm and then all will be revealed.

And that's all for today dear reader, i'm still a bit battered and bruised because of the events of the last week but I'm trying to be positive every day in many, many ways so go forth and make sure your Wednesday is a wonderful thing.

Special offers, Mini Sessions and Loobys continuing quest to own a Unicorn

Brrr, it's freezing this morning dear reader, more than a distinct nip in the air!  I have portraits to shoot in Jesmond Dene this morning and it's definitely going to be chilly ones!

Loads of stuff to tell you about if you are interested in the goings on of my business, if you're not then you should probably just skip through this post, haha!

So, until Sunday if you book a photo shoot or buy gift certificates you will be entered into a competition to win this framed and mounted print worth £35, it'll definitely make someone a lovely Christmas present or if you can't bear to give it away then stick it on your own walls and it will look fabulous!

To tempt you even further if you buy gift certificates before Sunday you will get an extra 20%, so for a half hour session voucher for £25 you will get a gift certificate worth £30 which means more prints for you!

I have a new last minute date for mini sessions at Saltwell Park on Sunday 16th November, I have been getting so many enquiries about doing more mini sessions at Saltwell Park, all the details below

So lots of lovely worky things going on, I'm actually quite blessed with great weather lately, it's been such a lovely dry autumn and that's fab if you work outdoors as much as I do!

Lots of enquiries coming in about doing some mini sessions at Tynemouth even though it's a bit brisk at the coast at this time of year so I may just have a think and announce a date at the beginning of December down by the sea, if you would be interested please do email, send an enquiry through my website or facebook page

Last night we had a great night Looby and I, we went to our local fireworks display and had a ball, then we noticed that 3 separate flats on the way home had full on Christmas decorations up, now I'm the first to admit that I'm a bit of a Christmas addict but even I think that the 5th of November is a bit early to put your Christmas tree up, presumably none of the trees were real or they'll all be dead by December!

Looby wrote her Christmas list last night, amongst others on the 30 item list is a kitten, a pony and a unicorn, I did tell her that she would have a £100 budget but clearly she has no concept of my budget, item number 26 was "anything else you think I would like"  let me tell you now that she's going to get a lot of item number 26!  I'd actually love to have all of the money in all of the world and be able to buy her everything on the list (Unicorn a bit more tricky unless you're in North Korea) but single parent budgeting is a tough one, it's not that I got any help anyway but I could at least come and go and I pleased and it didn't matter when I racked up 70 hours a week but now I'm working about 20 - 30 hours a week my income has taken some adjustment, I think the biggest impact has only been working 1 day at a weekend instead of 2 but I don't regret that I get to spend a lot more time with the children, I just have to keep working on that residual income, did I mention that Philomena's Boutique is the perfect place to do all of your Christmas shopping this year? 

Whatever you are doing today make sure it's a Thoroughly thankful Thursday!

Oh how I wish I was a minimalist

Life would be a lot easier if I was dear reader, I could have spent years moving nothing around a virtually empty house musing about the spaciousness of it all.  Sadly I like stuff on the walls, the shelves, in fact pretty much every surface I have has something on and when it doesn't I feel it looks empty, I like a homely home, I like a cluttered home, I like vintage trinkets and treasures to adorn the furniture which is also usually used because I hate new stuff.  This of course is a problem with wardrobes because of the weird town house we live in I can't actually get assembled wardrobes up the stairs. The one in my bedroom which is from around 1930ish had to be dismantled and reassembled and you can imagine the glee that caused ;)  The only solution to the top floor bedrooms will be to buy flatpack Ikea wonders...harumph!

Halloween is almost upon us, I'm also not a huge fan of Halloween because I feel it gets in the way of Christmas but the kids like it and the Amazon Halloween department has just about everything you could ever need for next weeks spooky spectacular.  Looby has her costume already, she's going to be little red riding hood and Petunia is going to be the ferocious wolf, I'm not sure she's going to be able to carry that performance off quite frankly!  Abigail mostly hasn't decided if she's joining in because she's at that funny age where she'd still like the big haul of candies which make your teeth fall out but she feels she's to old and sophisticated to go and knock on neighbours doors wearing a witch costume.  I have a feeling knowing Abigail that she will as ever decide right at the last moment and I'll be ordering the day before hoping that Amazon haven't sold out.

I've decided that I'm not buying house decorations this year, I only end up throwing them away the next day whereas I always store Christmas decorations but I just feel it's an unnecessary spend and after taking 3 black bags full of stuff to the Charity shop yesterday, giving away some Disney costumes, a slow cooker and a hoard of craft supplies I am definitely trying to downsize the clutter I have an not increase it with dead hands and rubber faces.

I finally framed some of my recent images and they'll make the perfect Christmas gift if you're planning ahead, the rustic framed ones are only £25 and the black framed ones are £35, if you would like to purchase one just send me over a quick email and if you would prefer to do your own framing then you can purchase any prints from my Etsy store Philomena's Boutique

It looks like a beautiful day out there, I am going to Jesmond Dene for a couple of photo shoots and it looks like being a sunny lovely morning so whatever you are up to today make sure it's a fabulous Thursday

Autumn in Newcastle and a wedding in Harrogate

Well better late than never dear reader but I've just come home from shooting a lovely little wedding in Harrogate and a beautiful wonderful thing it was too!

Yesterday I was walking home from some photo shoots in Jesmond Dene so I thought since I had my camera I might capture just a few images which will soon be going into my Etsy store, Philomenas Boutique, I think they're going to make fabulous Christmas gifts for the lovely people you have in your life.

If you look closely at this bottom one you'll see the shoe tree, people have been turning up to throw their shoes into the trees as a form of celebration since John the sheriff of Newcastle threw his shoes up there in 1684 after the birth of his first child.  Some say this is all myth and legend and it's just silly students but the romantic in me wants to believe it's true.

So that wedding I shot at the Hotel Du Vin in Harrogate today, beautiful, intimate and some gorgeous autumnal light for the portraits.

Tomorrow I have 11 photo shoots in Saltwell Park, trying to catch up from the horrid weather of last Saturday and thankfully it looks like it's going to be a gorgeous sunny weekend so I'm going to cheer loudly at that and I can't wait to share lots of highlights with you over the coming weeks.

Have a wonderful weekend, I can't promise to blog as regularly over the next few days but I'll be back to normal again by this time next week hopefully. 

Christmas Shopping, supporting small businesses and blissful dog walks

Yesterday I started my Christmas shopping, "it's way to early" I hear some of you cry dear readers but I figured this year I had to be extra organised and that if I started now with my bumper bargain Christmas I would have some chance of actually being able to afford it all.  I think there's so much pressure placed on parents at Christmas and if you're a single parent then the chances are that the kids actually see that as an excuse for double presents and not that they might get less, perish the thought!  To be fair though I have pretty good and understanding children, I've told them my budget is £100 per child for them to choose whatever they want and then I'll spend around another £50 on surprises and you know what, being a bit of a bargain hunter I reckon they'll all get a very nice size pile of presents for that amount, for me it's not so much about the value I just like a big pile of presents which look pretty around the Christmas tree.  I've said for years that I am Christmas, it's just my thing, I love every second of it and I'm one of those who's always just a little sad when it actually gets to Christmas day because I know that the magic and excitement is over for another year.

Maybe that's why I've really embraced autumn this year, because I know after autumn comes winter and in winter we have Christmas!

Yesterday was a rainy horrid day but it dried up just in time for Petunia and I to trot down to the park which was bathed in autumnal glory.  I love walking Petunia and please don't judge me but I like it best when it's just me and the dog, doggy and me time is the loveliest time of day and it's funny but I never feel quite so lonely when Petunia is around, last night as I did some window shopping on Etsy she lay on the sofa next to me nuzzled into me and I embraced the love you find in having a pet dog.  I'm so head over heels in love with Petunia and I'm thankful every day that she came into our lives.

On the subject of shopping for Christmas I've decided that for as much as I can I am going to do my Christmas shopping either on Etsy or within the Inspire Network so that I can support as many micro business owners, crafts people and artisans.  I read an article last year that if you supported your local business every £1 you spent was worth £50 to the local economy as opposed to spending that £1 with big businesses and obviously as a small business owner myself I appreciate all of my clients, you know I have an Etsy store full of gorgeous prints, why not consider purchasing your loved ones something lovely from Philomenas Boutique this year or failing that a gift certificate for Mandy Charlton Photography is the gift which keeps on giving!

Once again the rain scuppered an outdoor photo shoot yesterday meaning I have 18 photo shoots and a wedding in Harrogate in the next 7 days, even I think that's a lot of work and I may just squeeze in some extra vitamins and jumping beans, actually I have to say after losing a stone since the beginning of September I am feeling a lot more bouncy and full of energy anyway, 1 stone down and 1 to go, I shall be a leaping jumping bean by the time I am finished!

Today dear reader have a think about your Christmas shopping, if you are a parent be kind to yourself, tell your children this year will be about family and being together and special presents which mean a lot but might not cost a fortune and consider making some of your purchases from local businesses instead of those big corporate faceless organisations who steal our souls when we walk through the doors.

It's over, it's finally over....

The last 45 days have been the biggest roller coaster I have ever experienced.  Crowd funding is definitely not for the faint of heart.

Here's some stats from the UK Cityscapes project crowd funding campaign

144% funded
£3599 raised
15, 498 visits to the Indiegogo page
106 contributions
1500 Facebook shares
903 Tweets

If you were a part of this even in some small way then I thank you from the bottom of my heart.


If you read all of the articles (I'm quite glad I didn't read them until afterwards) the first thing they say is Do not do this on a whim!  So on that one I'd say Mandy 1 - Crowd funding advice - 0, I do know exactly what they're getting at though!

So you're probably wondering what exactly happens next?

It takes around 15 business days for most of the funds to be released, Paypal is immediate and that's helped with cities I've been to over the last 45 days, the bulk though will mean that the end of June/whole of July/August will be devoted to travelling this great land, climbing tall buildings and walking more miles in a week than i've ever walked before and that's not a bad thing!

If you follow me on social media you'll be able to keep up with each city as it happens, I post little postcards on the go through Instagram so feel free to give me a follow, I always try to follow back, I love seeing other peoples worlds, I'm instagram.com/MandyCharlton

My Etsy store Philomena's Boutique will be refreshed and all of the images from all of the cities will be available as Prints, fine art prints, Canvases and there'll also be options to pre order the UK Cityscapes books in both digital and hard copy.  I'm also working an E-Book which will be about the Crowd Funding journey and how to launch and run a successful campaign, I plan to get that written on evenings when I am in hotels on my own.

"But oh, Wait, I'm a company and I want to get involved, I really want to sponsor UK Cityscapes" I hear you say, well worry not, companies can still get involved in return for publicity, reviews and other such wonderful things, if you are a UK company, involved with travel or you're a hotel then please continue to get in touch by emailing me 

you'll also be seeing a lot more photos of my cats again and yesterday we just gave a home to Petunia, a 2 and a half year old husky with neurological problems, she has the equivalent of doggy autism and problems with her back legs, we took her out for her very first trip to the park yesterday and she loved it She's just quite the most enchanting little character. She's perpetually happy and has settled in better in one day than any other pet we've ever had, because she has no prey instinct and wants to be everyones friend she'll no doubt end up being friends with the cats, she's not even interested when they go next to her cage, much to their dismay.

I'm happy we found Petunia, she's going to keep hubby company when I'm away from home.

Oops, got totally distracted there didn't I, not like me at all!

Have a wonderful weekend, pray for sunshine because I am off to photograph a wedding and the portraits are timed for the same time as the thunder, my outfit today will probably be a floaty dress and galoshes!

All PR requests  and enquiries about the UK Cityscapes project should be sent to mandy@mandycharltonphotography.com

A Sunday look at #UKCityscapes and why this project is so important to me

It's a grey and slightly damp morning in Newcastle and I'm still in my pjyamas planning my next move! This morning someone tweeted a link to this photo saying they'd found it in my Etsy store and isn't it fabulous.

and this dear reader is the photograph which inspired my UK Cityscapes project

Earlier this week I spoke about why I need your help and told my story but this was really the moment that inspired it all.  I was over 400ft in the air standing at the top of the radio tower in Liverpool and for the first time in forever (sorry Frozen ;) ) I felt that feeling of total insignificance, we're all so incredibly small when viewed against the large landscape in which we live.  We can be all consumed by our problems, worries or human conditions but in reality they're so microcosmic when compared with the universe and it's amazing structures, formations and landscapes.  Now I'm not trying to undermine how utterly trapped you can feel when you have any mental health challenge and I should know from my own personal experiences of bipolar and agoraphobia, I suppose that several years ago I could not have done this, I could not be so high, so open,so tiny for agoraphobia made me essentially hide into the smallest corner wanting to be wrapped in a warm dark blanket of my own mortal fears.  I manage my own mental health pretty successfully and I speak about it to try and help, encourage and inspire other people who may at this moment feel trapped by their own inner mortal fears.  I think there's an ongoing fighting viking inside me which some days has to fight harder than others, don't get me wrong, when I get worried I get anxious and when I get anxious I forget to breath, funnily enough though it never ever happens in my professional life, probably because when I hold that camera I am very much in charge of the world, maybe that's what we all need, to find our own empowering tool which helps us to be in charge of our own universe so that we can climb tall buildings, scale large mountains and reach the precipice of our own destiny.

That's another reason that this project is so very important to me, I want to use this to do as much good as I can, I want the world to know my story and for everyone who's currently struggling to know that it is possible to be amazing and do great things.

Please support this project by claiming a perk on my crowd funding page or sharing this post or sponsoring me with your business and thank you, you're amazing!

Edinburgh, city 6 of 69, The UK Cityscape project by Mandy Charlton

So it's 7.20am on Monday 28th April 2014 and I've woken up to a sunny morning in Edinburgh, the 6th city in my UK Cityscape Project to be the first person to  document and photograph all 69 cities of the UK.

I've had a pretty good nights sleep at the Old Waverley Hotel on Princes Street, I still can't quite believe how lucky I was to find that this hotel had a massive discount on lastminute.com  The staff here have been lovely even though we were only staying for 1 night, we've a great view of the Scott Monument and our room faces onto my favourite department store Jenners. I'd always wanted to stay at this hotel, just for the views really and I thought i'd won the jackpot when the promised internal room actually happened to be one with a view, some of the front facing rooms which look directly onto the Scott Monument and Princes Street are definitely worth paying a little more if you are in Edinburgh for the whole Scottish experience.

So, what can I tell you about Edinburgh?

Well it's of course home to 2 very famous Pandas who live at Edinburgh Zoo, no time to go and visit them on this trip sadly but I'll be back with the girls in the summer for our fun trip!  Oh and just a warning, click on that link and you'll be transported to the Edinburgh Zoo panda cam, you may spend the day doing not very much else ;)

Apart from the Pandas -

Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, population is around half a million or was when it was last counted in 2012.  It's home to the Queens official Scottish residence the Palace of Holyroodhouse, I've never actually been inside, the next time I must visit!

Edinburgh is a city steeped in so much history your head might just explode if you try to absorb it all at once, it's not a city you can just spend one day in, I've been visiting for many many years and still haven't seen all of it, there's just so much to do whether you have kids or not, to name a few things there's the National Museum of Scotland, the National Gallery, Dynamic Earth, the royal yacht Britannia, the botanic gardens, and of course Edinburgh castle a place I can finally say I've visited, just 1 note about Edinburgh castle, it's amazing, however it's also got a very expensive coffee shop, if you're on a visit you might want to avoid the £3 cup of coffee and the £3 cake, just because they're expensive does not mean they're the best coffee and cake you'll ever experience ;)

And so onwards with our photographic journey, lets enjoy slightly misty murky Edinburgh, at one point I thought we would have to give up as you couldn't even see your own nose never mind a cityscape but lucky it cleared a little later on in the day.

 I have Abigail joining me on this leg of the journey as she's still got another week left of her Easter holidays even though it seems like Easter was weeks ago, if you're wondering what the heck she's doing, well I think she was either trying to hold up the ice-cream van or she's being a tour guide.

yes I think we all wish we could do this to our beloved Tweens every now and then.

and so that was Edinburgh, one of my favourite cities and I suspect when I get to the end of the project it will still remain as one of my favourite cities, everywhere you go in Edinburgh there's beauty to find, the magnificent layered landscapes our cities provide is really in evidence in Edinburgh and although the layers combine the old and the new it's really the old which stands out more than anything else, inhale and you'll breath in thousands of years of history, so much so you better hope you don't get some stuck up your nose!

and so onwards we go on this crazy journey, we leave on a train for Glasgow this morning, luckily it's only a half hour journey and luckily for me I love train journeys.

If you would like to grab yourself a pre-order of the book, find out more about the project or sponsor my campaign you can do so here

If you're a business and would like to discuss corporate sponsorship and working together to show how magnificent your business is in your city you can email me here

and if you would like to purchase any of the cityscapes from any of the cities you can drop me an email or there's a selection in my fine art Etsy store Philomenas Boutique